Category Archives: Mystery

The Lantern Group Read, Week 1

“I have always been a reader. As a child, I loved books, though there weren’t many at home. But as soon as I went to school and was given one to look at the lovely pictures, and turned the pages to find more of the same, I was happy. Such colors and strange and vivid images! I marveled at how they were all closed up, asleep with their secrets unseen until you reached up and took the book down from the shelf.”

October is whooshing by at breakneck speed, yet I am doing all that I can to ensure that I revel in each fallen leaf and each cool night. Part of that revelry includes finally being able to read The Lantern. I’ve been looking forward to this group read for over a month as it is a book that I felt promised a moody, atmospheric, methodical (and I mean that in the best of ways) read that would embody the gothic spirit that is the inspiration for the R.I.P. Challenge. And here we are with the first week of our discussion. Thus far Deborah Lawrenson’s book is doing for me what I hoped it would do and I look forward to hearing your thoughts on it.

As with any group books discussion (as opposed to a ‘review’) there are potential spoilers in the questions and answers which follow. I hope that all of you who have already read the book will join in the discussion, just please remember not to leave any spoilers for those of us who have only read the first two parts of the book.

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Fragile Things Group Read, Week Five

“I believe we owe it to each other to tell stories. It’s as close to a credo as I have or will, I suspect, ever get.”
~Neil Gaiman, Introduction to “Locks”

With summer-like temperatures dominating our Mid-western days, it feels as if October has abandoned his chair in favor of June or July. Nevertheless we press on, embracing the spirit of autumn in our reading and our viewing. We’ve passed the half-way point in our reading of Fragile Things, but we still have several great stories to read and to discuss, including this week’s offerings.

For those of you who have not been following along, there will be spoilers in the conversation after the jump.

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Storm Front Group Read, the Conclusion

Our collective read through of the first book in Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files series, Storm Front, has come to an end. Thank you to Jeff for suggesting the title. Despite planning to read Jim Butcher for years, it is unlikely I would have gotten to this series any time soon without the motivation of the group read. Thank you also to those who have participated in the reading and discussion.

When we last left Harry he was beaten and bruised but not broken. And the final act of Harry’s first recorded adventure was every bit as harrowing as the first two acts had been.

Jeff and I shared questions duties on this final section of the book. Jeff’s are the better questions. 🙂

Spoilers ahead? Yes indeed.

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Fragile Things Group Read, Week Four


(Cave Girl, by Frank Frazetta)

Fear not, you are in the right place. Trust me, the image of the savage beauty is indeed relevant for this week’s discussion of the assigned stories for the group read of Neil Gaiman’s short story collection, Fragile Things.

Last week’s reading was my journey through the darkness, as that section of the book is among my least favorite. And yet all told there were things in 3 of the 4 selections that I really liked and not surprisingly the discussion for last week’s selections was rich and rewarding. As an avowed Neil Gaiman fan it was fun to actually explore some of his stories that just don’t do it for me and it was equally enjoyable to see how some of those stories stood out to the other readers. This joint reading experience has been a rewarding part of my September and I hope it has been for everyone else as well. And we have one more month of Gaiman short story conversations.

Life is Good.

Consider this your OSW: Obligatory Spoiler Warning.

Let’s talk short fiction.

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Storm Front Group Read, Week Two






“Your mouth says no,” she purred, but this says yes.”


“That thing is always saying something stupid,” I told her.














We’ve reached Week Two of our group read of Jim Butcher’s first Dresden Files book, Storm Front. I do hope those of you reading it for the first time, like I am, are enjoying it and I hope those of you who decided to re-read it are enjoying it as much or more than you did on your first outing.

We are nearly there.

I’ve been doing really well in the self-control department, spreading the reading out to more closely coincide with the schedule. I must say that at the end of each section it has been hard to put Harry down and wait, but I am enjoying savoring this experience. Especially given the fact that I get to discuss it with you good people.

I came up with this week’s questions, so blame me. 🙂

A reminder to Storm Front virgins, spoilers will arrive after the jump.

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